Hand tool



Sept. 27, 1932.

E. MONAHAN HAND TOOL 2 Sheets-Shet Filed March 23. 1931 l' 3nventor E l M mba."

E. MONAHAN $ept. 27, 1932.

HAND TOOL Filed March 25, 1931 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 v Bnventor 3 Earl Monahan Gflomeg Patented Sept. 27, 1932 UNITED STATES EARL MONAHAN, OF HYANNIS, NEBRASKA HAND Application filed March 23,

The present invention relates to hand tools, and has for an object to provide a hand tool which may be used for the simultaneous stretching and cutting of a wire strand such as the barbed wire strand of a fence.

Another object of the present invention is to combine in this structure of stretcher and cutter such features as will tend to increase the etficiency of the tool and at the same time impart thereto such operative features as a staple puller, a hammer, a screw driver, a

tack puller and a clamping device for engaging a wire strand when it is desired to merely draw the same taut without cutting or severing the same.

Another feature of the present invention is to provide a hand tool of this character which, while of the eneral shape of a hammer with its usual T165111 and claw, is constructive of the pivoted jaw and handle type so as to obtain the necessary gripping and cutting action by handles or levers through which increased pressure or leverage is obtained.

Another feature of the invention is to so construct the handle portion of the tool that when the tool is closed, the pair of handles used serve as a single handle or lever for use in swinging or tilting the tool in obtaining leverage for drawing a wire strand taut.

The invention also aims at the provision of a hand tool embodying the above enumerated characteristics and which at the same time is of relatively simple construction, comprises but a pair of crossed members pivotally connected together and which are of relatively small and compact construction.

With the foregoing and other objects in view, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter and will be more particularly pointed out in the claim appended hereto.

In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevation of a hand tool constructed according to the present invention.

Figure 2 is an outer end view of the same.

Figure 3 is an edge view of the tool as ap- TOOL 1931. Serial No. 524,889.

plied to a staple driven in a post for remov- 1inkg the staple and freeing a fence wire or the Figure 4 is a top plan view of the same applied in the position shown in Figure 3.

Figure 5 is a longitudinal section taken centrally through the tool on the line 5-5 of Figure 1.

Figure 6 is a top plan view of the tool as applied to a fence wire for stretching the 00 wire and cutting the same by a simultaneous operation of the tool.

Figure 7 is a bottom edge view of the tool with the wire applied thereto in the position shown in Figure 6, and

Figure 8 is a fragmentary edge view of the tool applied to the side of a fence post and gripping a fence strand therein for drawing the latter taut without cutting the same.

Referring to the drawings, 10 and 11 designate a pair of handles which, as shown in Figure 1, may be slightly bowed and which may have their extremities constructed to provide different implements which may be used in conjunction with the general use of the tool. The handle 10 at its end is forked or slotted to provide a pair of tack lifting claws 12, clearly shown in Figure 5, while the extremity of the handle 11 may be tapered and flattened to provide a bit 13 for engaging the kerfs of screws and the like so as to serve as a screw driver.

The opposite ends of the handles 10 and 11 are provided with flattened offset pivotal or disk portions 14, shown to advantage in Figures 1 and 5, and these portions 14 are so offset as to slidably engage together at their inner faces and when combined provide a width equal substantially to that of the adjacent end portions of the handles 10 and 11. A pivot 15 is secured axially through the disk portions 14 for pivotally connecting the same so that the disks may turn one upon the other when the handles 10 and 11 are swung toward and from each other.

Each disk 14 is provided with a jaw, and these jaws 16 and 17 are enlarged laterally and project in offset relation upon their respective disks 14 so that each jaw is ofthe combined width of the disks 14 and the jaws are so disposed that their inner flat faces 18 are adapted to be brought to ther in' contacting relation when the ban cs 10 and 11 are swung to ther.

The jaw 1 may have upon its outer edge a hammer ball or head 19 conforming n general contour to that of the adjacent portion of the hammer. The jaw 16 may have at its outer edge a pair of curved diverglng claws 20 which extend inwardly with respect to the adjacent handle 10 to simulate the usual claw formation on a hammer and to provide a suitable fulcrum rest and rockingsurface's for the tool when it is manipulated for stretching wire, pulling staples and the like.

The inner opposite faces 18 of the jaws 16 and 17 are provided with complemental recesses 21 adapted to receive the barb 22 of a fence strand, such as shown in Figure 7, and the faces 18 are also provided with complemental arcuate slots 23 with Intermediate projections 24 adapted to receive the closed end of a staple 25 with the pro ect ons 24 meeting, or substantially meeting, m the bight of the sta le for securely holding the latter between t e 'aws. From Figure 5 1t will also be noted t at the outer corner portions of the jaws 16 and 17, at their meeting faces 18, are provided with projections 26 which not only define the opposite ends of the curved slots 23, but which also define diagonal or corner slots 27 which open through the opposite sides of the jaws 16 and 17 and open into the opposite ends of the curved slot 23. As shown in Figure 3, these lateral slots 27 are adapted to receive the closed end of the sta 1e 25 when it is desired to grip the staple y a corner of the implement an when a wire strand 28 passes through the sta le in such manner that the ex osed closed en of the staple cannot be broug t into register with the curved slots 23.

These corner projections 26 of the 'aws preferably project outwardly or flare rom the opposite sides of the head of the tool to provide anchoring portions for bitin into the side of a post 29, such as shown in igure 8, for holding the tool from slipping when the latter is used as a. lever for drawing'the wire strand 28 taut. The lateral slots or openings 27 also serve the purpose of receiving therethrough the wire strand 28, as shown in Figures 6 and 7, when it is desired to draw the strand 28 lengthwise into taut osition across the face of the fence post 29. nder these conditions, the adjacent barb 22 of the wire strand 28' has one end lying in the registering slots 21 of the jaws 16 and 17.

- The 'aws 16 and 17 are provided with suitably 0 set or beveled cutting projections or flanges 30 disposedat one side of the tool, as

shown in Figures 6 and 7 particularly and Withthei'r overlapping edges meetin substantially in the plane of contact of t e flat faces of the jaws 16 and 17 ,so that the wire strand 28, extending outwardly from the lateral slot 27 through the adjacent end of the curved slot 23, may lie along one side of the tool and in direct alignment with the cutting flanges 30. The cutting flanges 30, when brought together by the more complete closing of the jaws 16 and 17, are adapted to bite against'and through the opposite sides of the wire strand 28 to sever it at a point beyond the prong 22 so that the wire strand 28 will not slip from the tool when the strand is severed.

The disk portions 14 of the handles may also be provided with wire cutting slots 31 of desired size and which may be located in the opposite edges of the disks so that wire strands of various types may be cut by turnpost 29 but beyond the staple 25 so that when the jaws 16 and 17 are gripped tightly upon the strand 28, the tool may be drawn in the general longitudinal direction of the strand so as to pull it through the staple 25 and, by swinging the strand into line with the cutting flanges 30, the strand may be severed at the desired point beyond the post 29, the out ting action eing effected by merely tightening the grip upon the handles 10 and 11 to close the jaws 16 and 17 more firmly to gether. The tool is maintained in closed position while the cut end of the strand 28 may be dropped upon the ground or carried out of the way, as desired. 4

While the strand 28 is held under tension by the gripping jaws 16 and 17, the tool may be carried around one side of the post 29 so as to bind the end of the strand 28 over against the remote edge or side of the post, and additional staples 25 may thus be used for securing the free end of the strand.

Another mode of using the tool is shown in Figure 8, and in this instance the inner sides of the handles 10 and 11 may be flattened and corrugated, as shown at 32, to provide a pair of gripping faces adapted to engage an intermediate portion ofthe strand 28 when one of the anchoring projections 26 is engaged against the side of the post 29. The tool thus anchored and gripped upon the strand 28 may be swung upon the projection 26 as a pivot so as to draw the strand 28 taut across t e side of the post 29. The staple 25 may thenbe driven into place for securing the strand 28 firmly to the post.

till

all)

" construction In Figure 5, the dotted lines show a staple 25 engaged in the curved slots 23 of the aws 16 and 17. This use of the tool may be re: sorted to in either withdrawing staples from a post or in initially placing the staples therein, as shown in Figure 4.

In Figure 3, a staple 25 is engaged at its closed end through one of the lateral slots 27 and the adjacent end of the curved slot 23 so that the meeting projections 26 may extend through the upper part of the staple above a wire strand 28, and thus admit of the desired gripping of the tool through the closed end of the staple.

This is particularly useful in withdrawing staples 25 which are engaged with the fence strand 28.

It is apparent that the various other structural features of the two closed and pivoted members comprising the improved tool are capable of their various uses in the ordinary manner.

I do not wish to be restricted to the size, form, and proportions of the various parts, and obviouslj; changes could be made in the erein described without departing from the spirit of the invention, it being only necessary that such changes fall within the scope of the appended claim:

What is claimed is:

A hand tool for cutting wire having outstanding spaced barbs, comprising a pair of crossed pivotally connected members providing relatively long handles at one end and a pair of relatively short jaws at their other ends, said jaws having registering curved recesses in their inner contacting faces opening through the outer ends of the jaws and further provided with lateral registering recesses opening into the curved recesses and through the opposite sides of the aws to receive the wire in offset relation therein and with one end of the wire lying across the faces of the jaws at one side of the tool, and cutting means carried upon one side of the jaws adapted to register substantially in the plane of contact of the jaws for severing the wire, said jaws also having a second pair of recesses spaced between the first recesses and said cutting means for receiving an adjacent barb of the wire to hold the latter from slipping through the first recesses when the wire is severed.

In testimony whereof, I have afiixed my signature.

EARL MONAHAN. 

